Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-08
TWO DEAD JOURNALISTS.

Poore and H. ]. RamsdelI, Both Of
Whom Died Last Week-How Rsmsdell
Secured tho Secret Treaty Of Washing
ton and Offended the Sensts.
The press dispatches announced the
death at Washington City last week OF
Ben Perley Poore and Homer J. Rams
dell, two well known journalists and cor
respondents in the east. Major Poore
died OF Bright's disease, and Mr.. Ramsde l
by the quicker agency of apoplexy The
first named had been for thirty years a
corresponded at the Capital for the Bos-
ton Journal, and with q brief interreg-
mum, had been for many years the clerk of
the Senate Committee on Printing. He
was OF the old school of journaliets, digni-
fed and courteous. and enjoyed the friend
ship of the great men contemporaneous
with him, notably Senator Sumner, with
whom he was on the most intimate terms
He had q splendid farm home at Indian
Head, Mass, the grounds OF which were q
landscape in themselves, and the house
trophies. There he spent q portion of
each summer with chosen friends, but the
major portion of his time was passed at
the National Capital. He was of genial
disposition, fond of companionable peo-
pie, and enjoyed the good things of life in
a rational way. Lately he has been en-
gagged in writing series of "reminiscences,
which, in addition to being particularly
readable, contain many important Incl
dents Of unwritten history.
REGARDING MR.. RAMsDELs.
Mr.. Ramsdell was q younger man and of
the more modern type of newspaper at
taches. A Pennsylvania by birth, he
located in Washington some time after the
war, and became the correspondent OF
different western journals and then of the
New York Tribune. Subsequently he es-
tablished and edited a weekly literary
paper, The Republic, which became very
popular in the fashionable circles of Wash
ington and the eastern centers. He was
appointed by President Garfield. Register
of Wills of the District of Columbia, q
lucrative office and held it until removed
by President Cleveland. While on the
Mr.. q. 8. White, were imprisoned by order
of the United States Senate, for failing to
disclose the sources from which he had OBJ
tained certain information. The affair
created mnch comment and excitement at
the time and as the true inwardness of the
affair has never been published, it is given
herewith. 1t was early in the seventies;
the high joint commission had completed
it's labors and adjourned, and the famed
treaty of Washington was under consider
alton by the Senate, when to the surprise
ofall, it's entire text was published in the
Tribune. Senators were wroth, for it was
the first time confidential document in
the possession of that body had seen the
light of day without authority.
THE COURTESY OF THE SENATE
forbade that any member of that august
body should be suspected of 80 grave an
offenss as giving away the treaty, although
each meluber had been furnished with two
printed copies. Naturally, suspicion fell
upon the Government Printing Office, and
feeling that the reputation of the craft was
ment Printer Clapp down to the office
boys grew indignant and defiant. The
Senate ordered an investigation, and
Ramsdell and White, both refusing to give
any Information to the committee, they
were adjudged in contempt and ordered to
be imprisoned. The sentence was carried
inta effect, but after short time they
were released, and the matter dropped. As
a matter of
FACT AND HISTORY,
the copy Of the treaty was obtained
from the residence of Senator John P.
Jones, OF Nevada. The Senator was then
early in his first term, unmarried and pos
sessed of large wealth and generous So
cial disposition. Upon his arrival in Wash
ington he secured a fine bruwn-stone house
in q fashionable quarter, and kept bache-
lor hall in state. His stables, his larder
and his wine cellar were always at the dis
posal of the party of choice spirits he
gathered about him, and among the news
paper men of the coterie was Ramsdell.
The Senator's residence was more like q
club than anything else. The boys made
themselves at home whether he was there
or not, and the attendants lin his absence
served the best there was in the place, and
that was the best money could procure.
Jones like the other Senators, had been
supplied with copies Of the treaty. and had
taken them to his home for examination.
and carelessly he left them in
his library, and there, while seeking a
book, Kamsdell found them. It was
A TERRIBLE TEMPTATION,
and his newspaper instincts got the better
OF his higher sense Of honor, and he appro-
priated copy and caused its publication.
The Tribune had big scoop, and Rams
dell had for time all the notoriety he
needed, but it did not last long. Whether
Jones was ever told of the affair is ques-
but it is sure that he was not en-
lightened upon it for many years.